Next-Gen Gulfstreams Set City-Pair Speed Records

GulfstreamGulfstream delivered 39 large and midsized-cabin aircraft worth $2.5 billion in the fourth quarter. [Courtesy: Gulfstream]

Business jet travel is getting faster, according to Gulfstream, which says its G600 and the forthcoming G700 have set new city-pair speed records between hubs in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

The new city-pair records were set late last month and come as the business jet manufacturer is poised to begin delivery of its next-generation G700 aircraft in the coming year.

Gulfstream conducted a demonstration flight of a fully outfitted G700 production test aircraft on October 23, traveling from Houston, Texas, to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Powered by two Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines, the G700 flew 7,172 nautical miles at Mach 0.87, landing in 13 hours and 40 minutes. The flight was the longest yet for the G700, Gulfstream said.

According to company specs, the aircraft tops out with a maximum range of 7,500 nautical miles and high speed cruise at Mach 0.90.

A G600 test aircraft flew from Washington, D.C., to Riyadh in 11 hours and 39 minutes. Gulfstream

The same day, Gulfstream also flew a G600 aircraft from Washington, D.C., to Riyadh. That 6,146 nautical-mile trip was flown at Mach 0.88 in 11 hours and 39 minutes.

The record-breaking flights used sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and are carbon neutral because of the application of carbon offsets, Gulfstream said.

Returning to the U.S., more records were set, according to the aircraft manufacturer.

G700 flight from Riyadh to Savannah, Georgia:

Duration: 13 hours, 55 minutes
Distance: 6,507 nautical miles
Average speed: Mach 0.875 (operated as high as 51,000 feet at average speed of Mach 0.85)

G600 flight from Riyadh to Teeterboro, New York:

Duration: 12 hours and 56 minutes
Distance: 5,915 nautical miles
Average speed: Mach 0.85

“These city-pair records showcase the ability of our aircraft to help our customers reach their destinations faster,” Gulfstream president Mark Burns said in a statement.

“The G700 is the most spacious, best-performing aircraft in the business-jet industry, and we look forward to its entry into service, and for the G600, our customers are seeing firsthand what the aircraft can do for them, and its popularity continues to grow around the world.”